


The Garden

by aquilasaurus



Series: Winter at the Castle [2]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Feelings, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Gift Giving, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 00:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16882140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquilasaurus/pseuds/aquilasaurus
Summary: Ada comes up with a meaningful gift to express her affection. Ficlet.Day 6 of the Winter Fluff Event: Gifts.





	The Garden

It was Hecate Hardbroom’s fifth term at Cackle’s. She had mostly kept to herself, did her marking in her classroom rather than the staff lounge, took her meals quietly. But Ada, the Headmistress' daughter and heir apparent, was not easily dissuaded, and had managed to strike up a tentative friendship with her. Invited her round for tea. Discussed student performance, the finer points of magical theory. Ingredients she would need to order.

Miss Hardbroom was always running out of this weed or that herb.

And over those two and a half years, Ada felt her heart slip and shift as she came to grips with the nature of her interest in Hecate. She had noticed her from the beginning, of course. Agitated for her hire. But what began as simple physical attraction became difficult to ignore as respect bloomed into affection, empathy into desire. She found herself thinking of her old loves less and less frequently. 

Ada spoke to her heart. Trained herself to retain composure. Inhale, exhale. Stay focused.

They never broached the subject of Hecate’s personal life. Ada would reference her own with some frequency, her troubled sister, their tumultuous relationship. How Agatha needled her, flaunted her frequent dalliances with other witches, her ability to swoop in on anyone Ada fancied and steal them for herself. Like a magpie for beautiful women.

Hecate never took the bait, never responded in kind. But her brows would lift ever so slightly, and she would swallow. Her gaze would drop, her hands would pick up this or that, grasping at any object within reach. Ada took that as a sign, allowing her voice to skim lightly over the insinuation that she maintained an active personal life, and taking the opportunity to drink Hecate in unobserved.

She wondered whether Hecate fancied her, too.

Hecate Hardbroom was not a flirt. Ada would have to do all the heavy lifting herself. She thought about what she could do that would demonstrate the depth of her feelings without making Hecate nervous. When she brought her proposal to the Headmistress, Alma looked at her like she was a star-crossed fool, but acquiesced. Ada set to work.

She summoned Hecate one Saturday morning as the term was drawing to a close. This itself was highly unusual: they normally had tea in the afternoons and talked late into the evenings, but Ada felt that approaching her before noon might constitute overstepping. It was a risk, to be sure.

“What’s the matter?” Hecate’s eyebrows knitted together.

“I should like to show you something, something you might find of interest. If you’ll follow me, please, Hecate,” she said, gently, and beckoned.

Hecate spluttered some sort of protest when Ada went out to the grounds, but the chill wind whistled over her. After a pause, she followed. Ada rounded a bend. When Hecate caught up, she saw it all laid out: a small gate, herb beds, a weed patch, all ready to be planted in springtime. A few hardy flowers. A small, delicate labyrinth, just wide enough for one person to contemplate in.

Hecate’s eyes went wide, her gaze washing over every detail. When she finally looked back at Ada, it was with quirked lips and, just possibly, wet eyes. 

“Thank you,” she breathed. For the first time, she clasped Ada’s hand. Ada did not fail to notice how her cheeks pinkened. “Thank you.”


End file.
